A New Cross Country Season And An Old One Too

 The Dolan Duels were held on Friday. These celebrate Coach Dolan of Lock Haven, who coached PSU and recruited Greg Fredericks to Happy Valley.  Photos by Greg himself!

But just a few years ago, the State College High team with quite a few future (and former!) Nittany Lions had their photo taken.  Photo from future Track Alumni (Golfer) Bill Kvashay.  Included are former PSU Captain Jackson Horner, Carl Bechdel, Howard Triebold, and Bill Kvashay himself.  It is my hope we see Bill and a very special guest when he comes to the 2023 Reunion in August!

Diamonds Are A Guys Best Friend

 Via our West Coast Promoter Mike Fanelli, via Founder and Keeper of the Beer Clark Haley comes this picture from the 1980 Run for the Diamonds in Berwick, PA.  I think both Greg Fredericks and Larry Mangan won diamonds that year.   Not bad for a couple of milers...

The Dolan Duals Are Special

 As the opening tune-up for the XC season, it has been around for a number of years.  Jim Dolan was Greg Fredericks' Freshman season Coach when Coach Groves first came to Penn State from William and Mary in 1968.  He became the head coach of Division II Lock Haven the following year.  There has been a special relationship between the schools ever since.

 

 

WOMENS RESULTS: 

1	Johnson, Allison	FR-1	Penn State	5:43.6	14:14.0	1
2	Ullom, Madaline	SO-2	Penn State	5:45.3	14:18.4	2
3	Toti, Sophia	SO-2	Penn State	5:46.4	14:21.1	3
4	McCormick, Cori	FR-1	Penn State	5:48.7	14:26.8	4
5	Krebs, Makenna	SO-2	Penn State	5:50.4	14:30.9	5
6	Fedko, Katherine	SO-2	Penn State	5:52.6	14:36.5	6
7	Mazza, Sera	SO-2	Penn State	5:52.8	14:36.9	7
8	McCullough, Kaylee	SO-2	Penn State	6:11.8	15:24.3
9	Hayes, Samantha		Unattached	6:12.1	15:25.0
10	Kiser, Cadie	SR-4	Lock Haven	6:17.0	15:37.1	8

MENS RESULTS:      1	Hamel, Eric	SR-4	Penn State	4:49.9	18:01.0	1
2	Dorenkamp, Evan	SO-2	Penn State	4:52.6	18:11.0	2
3	Tomasko, Alex	SR-4	Penn State	4:53.3	18:13.7	3
4	Davis, Isaac	SR-4	Penn State	4:57.8	18:30.4	4
5	Waters, Colin	SO-2	Penn State	4:58.0	18:31.0	5
6	Lyon, Henry J		Unattached	4:58.7	18:33.7
7	Delisle, Hudson	JR-3	Penn State	5:00.6	18:40.8	6
8	DeSousa, Christopher		Unattached	5:01.8	18:45.2
9	Haas, Kevin	FR-1	Penn State	5:02.6	18:48.3	7
10	Bumgarner, Ben	SR-4	Penn State	5:02.8	18:48.8

I Was Wrong When I Said That Hazing Never Happened In PSU Track And XC!

I was always pleased that there was never hazing while I was a member of the PSU Track and XC family.  There certainly was back in 1968, though.  The shorts that the Freshman team had to endure that year for the team photo definitely qualify...

Greg Fredericks will have to chime in here, as the captions were cut off, and all I recognize is him, Coach Groves and Coach Dolan...

Memory Lane: Part 1

Thanks to our Course Marshall, we have pics of every Coach Groves' Cross Country team through the ages.  And since I have been posting sparsely this year, it seems that they would make an easy post that everyone will enjoy.

So here's Coach Groves' very first Cross Country team in 1968!

My notes: (please add your own!)

• Great benefactor and York County native Dick Geiger looking good!
• Coach Groves looking youthful, but serious.
• Steve Gentry with a mischevious grin!
• Long-time Lock Haven Coach Jim Dolan as Assistant Coach (Freshman Coach)
• Assistant Coach Warren Coleman (PSU's first ever African American Coach!) 
• I didn't see group member Phil Peterson at first!!  Sorry about that.

Dolan Duels a Great Warm Up

Yesterday, the Nits started the XC season in fine style at Lock Haven at the Dolan Duels.  Our Tennessee connection Dick Geiger reminds me that Jim Dolan was the Freshman Coach at PSU when a "slow" skinny kid from near Reading made his way to Happy Valley.  Jim moved on to Lock Haven at some point and became the Legend that he is. The "slow" kid also made a name for himself despite Coach Groves admitting he would have never recruited him.  Head Coach John Lucas must have seen something others didn't!

Dick Geiger also reminds me that 1965 Spring Grove High School classmate David Mosebrook went on to star at Lock Haven. David also lives in Dover, where I am from. Dick, David and a few others had been the first team from York County to win the PIAA XC crown. I remember them because my dad was a track official back then.  Dave is a track official til this day.  I see him at numerous meets every year.

Yesterday, at the opening race of the season, the Women's team swept the first five places on the 4K course with Marta Klebe taking the overall crown.

Photo by Dave Beyerle.

Robbie Creese took the victory in the Men's 6K race with a Course Record 17:29.  Both teams came away with the team victory.

Photo by Dave Beyerle.